


Don't Tell Bella

by Wolfy22Zsasz



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-02-06
Packaged: 2019-10-09 01:37:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 4,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17397620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfy22Zsasz/pseuds/Wolfy22Zsasz
Summary: This will be a slow build decently long piece starting in the past. Fictionalizing Sonny's past and family history and leading into the present day.Charlie is Bella Carisi's best friend and will suddenly come back into the Carisis' lives in a sudden unexpected way.





	1. One

Charlie and Bella had been best friends since they were 7 years old. They'd grown up together, done everything together. To Charlie, the Carisi house was her second home. Gina and Teresa weren't always nice but that's how big sisters were (she supposed- she was an only child herself). Every now and then they would be nice and offer her clothes they no longer wanted. Mr. Carisi was the somewhat aloof yet pleasantly welcoming father figure and Mrs. Carisi, Ma, was the epitome of the loving housewife mother. And then there was Sonny. Dominick Carisi Jr. He was used to being surrounded by girls his whole life, so when Charlie came around it was nothing different. They played together as children and when they got older Sonny was required to escort them everywhere. Ma insisted. He had to look out for little Bella and her friends.


	2. Two

Charlie first decided she was in love with Sonny when she was 14 years old. Bella and her had just started high school. The girls had never been either popular or unpopular, but they quickly discovered high school girls were savage. Bella was mostly left alone because Teresa was a senior and enough of the Upper class-men remembered Gina too. Charlie however was an only child and a bit of a tomboy.

"Hey Charlie, do you actually have any boobs under there or are you actually a boy like your name?"

Charlie was used to the jokes considering the fact that she preferred Charlie over Charlotte and liked to dress in pants and baggy sweaters. On that particular day, she was wearing some black pants with a St. Joseph's sweater that was too big on her. 

Sonny saw Charlie getting cornered from down the hall and broke away from his friends to walk down there.

"Charlie!" He walks past the girls and puts himself between them. "Is this mine?" He tugs on the sleeve of the sweater.

Charlie looks down and nods, blushing.

"What did I tell you and Bella about stealing my clothes? Before you know it I'm not gonna have any left!" Sonny grins at her and puts an arm around her shoulders. "Come on, let me walk you to class."

That day Charlie stopped seeing Sonny as Bella's older brother. That day he was her knight in shining armor.


	3. Three

It was when the girls were 15 that Charlie's feelings got outed. She and Bella had finally scored an invitation to a party. They told their parents it was a birthday party but it was Sonny's attendance that allowed them to go. While Bella went off to look for drinks, Charlie got roped into playing 7 minutes in heaven with some older kids, including Sonny. Two boys went first and then it was Charlie's turn. 

She could feel her face pale in fear as she reached forward to spin the bottle. Sitting back as it spun round and round, she kept her gaze locked on the bottle and not the faces around her. As the bottle came to a stop and the voices went "ooo" in excitement she followed the neck of the bottle to the person it was pointing at. Sonny Carisi. Her face immediately regained all it's color plus some as her cheeks burned. Sonny stood and offered her his hand, his normal easy-going smile still present on his face. As Charlie took his hand and followed him into the dark, cramped closet, all she could hear was the beating of her heart, thundering against her ribcage. Once the door was shut against all prying eyes, Sonny stops smiling and grabs her hands. 

"We don't gotta do this if you don't wanna."

Charlie swallows hard and wonders if he can feel her racing pulse through her sweaty palms. "Do you want to?" She turns the question back on him to avoid answering.

The shock registers on Sonny's face and she can see his mind racing for an answer of his own. "I don't know how Bella would feel about me kissin her best friend." He keeps his gaze down on their hands as he continues. "We either pretend that we did and tell Bella the truth, or"

Charlie continues for him, "we do and tell Bella"

"That nothing happened." They finish in unison.

Sonny gently tugs Charlie closer to him. "Is this your first kiss?"

She nods, glad he probably can't see how red her face is in the dark.

"And you're sure you want ME to be your first?" He questions skeptically.

Charlie gathers her courage to answer. "Definitely."

A smile creeps back onto Sonny's face as he pulls her close and lets go of her hands. He puts one arm around her waist and gently tilts her face up with his other hand. Charlie's heart pounds as his face descends towards her. He stops though, their foreheads touching as he stares into her eyes. 

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

Sonny tilts his head to the side and gently kisses her softly parted lips. When he starts to pull away, Charlie grabs hold of his hoodie to stop him. Chuckling he rubs his nose against hers before kissing her again, more firmly this time. This time she actively kisses back, hesitant at first as they taste each other. By the time someone knocks to say there's only a minute left, Charlie's arms are around his neck and their tongues are eagerly exploring each other's mouths. They part gasping for air. 

"Don't tell Bella,"

"Bella can't know."

They speak in unison, making them both laugh. 

Sonny runs his hands over his hair, trying to smooth out where Charlie's fingers had been.

 

They spent the rest of the night sneaking glances at each other while avoiding actually speaking.


	4. Four

Nothing more happened between Charlie and Sonny over the next year. She still spent most of her time at the Carisi house and saw him all the time, but they never mentioned that night. Bella got her first boyfriend and Sonny took a couple girls on dates but for Charlie there was no one else.

 

"Happy birthday!"

Charlie shrieks as she's woken by someone jumping on her. 

"Bella?" Charlie fumbles to brush her hair out of her face.

"Definitely not. She's down making you breakfast with Ma. They told me to wake you up."

Charlie blinks up at the person cheerfully straddling her in Bella's bed.

"Sonny?" She can feel her face go bright red. It's not like he hadn't seen her in pj's with bedhead before, with how much she slept over with Bella, but she was acutely aware that they were currently the only two in the bedroom... and the bed.

Sonny suddenly seems to realize the situation he's put them in as well. He sits back on his heels, a blush tinting his cheeks as well. 

"I hope you guys didn't go overboard." Charlie tries to break the awkwardness.

"But it's your sweet 16!"

"It's just another birthday, its not that special."

"It can be if you want it to." Sonny says the words innocently, not hearing the double meaning until her face turns redder.

"Sonny, Charlie, breakfast's ready!" Bella's voice calls from down the stairs.

They both glance at the door before looking back at each other. 

"And if I want it to be special?"

Sonny's eyebrows raise and he glances at the door again. He licks his lips and looks back down at Charlie.

"Then it should be." He whispers as he leans down and presses his lips to her hers.

 

Bella stands just outside her bedroom with her hand to her mouth. She watches as her brother leans down and kisses her best friend. One hand holding him up while the other slips around Charlie's neck to pull her closer. Bella steps away as their kiss deepens and walks back to the top of the stairs before calling for them again. 

"Sonny, Charlie, it's getting cold!"

In the bedroom, they pull away with wide eyes at Bella's voice sounding closer. 

"Later." Sonny whispers to her, his blue eyes earnest.

 

It's not until that night that they're alone again. After spending the whole day with the Carisis', Charlie was finally headed home. Sonny was the one who volunteered to get her safely to the taxi. "So, uh, when I called the taxi .. they said 10 minutes not 5." Sonny shoves his hands in his pockets and and ducks his head. When he glances back up, Charlie gets lost in those twinkling blue eyes.

He looks up and down the empty street and takes a step closer to her. 

"So...it's later..." He nudges her with his shoulder. 

"Yeah it is." She breathes, feeling Frozen in anticipation. 

"Come here Char." 

Charlie steps toe to toe with him and looks up into his eyes. 

"Now where were we?" He whispers as he closes the distance between them with a kiss. 

Charlie knots her fingers in his hair as their kissing escalates. Sonny pulls away briefly but only so his lips can travel down her jaw to her neck. She sighs and melts against him, as much of their bodies touching as possible. 

"Sonny."  
.  
He pulls his head up and then curses. 

"What?"

"The taxi's here." He pulls her into a tight hug. "I'll see you later Char."

Charlie gets into the taxi and watches as Sonny gets smaller and smaller. He doesn't walk away until the taxi is out of sight.


	5. Five

Charlie tried not to be too heartbroken when Sonny started college. He still lived at home, but he was rarely home. Bella joined the softball team leaving Charlie with too much free time. So Charlie found pass times of her own, joining track and tennis. Junior year flew by and then it was her and Bella's senior year of high school.

"Charlie! You're coming over tomorrow night, right?"

"Sure? What's going on?"

"Ma's throwing Sonny a birthday party. He told her not to and he's got plans with friends on the actual day but you know Ma."

"Oh....yeah I can come if you want me to."

"Charlie. What's wrong with you? If  _ **I**_ want you to? You're family- my family expects you to be there!"

 

The following night Charlie shows up to the Carisi house and nervously knocks on the door. 

Gina answers the door and leaves it hanging open as she walks away and announces, "Charlotte's here!"

Charlie carefully shuts the door behind her and makes her way to the kitchen.

"Charlotte! Where have you been lately?" Ma Carisi envelopes her in a hug before going back to the stove. 

"Oh, just busy with school and stuff."

"Yeah Charlie, I feel like I never see my best friend anymore." Bella teases.

"Is that Charlie?" A voice comes from behind her.

Charlie plasters a fake smile on her face before turning around to face the birthday boy himself.

"Happy birthday Sonny."

"My boy's not a teenager anymore!" 

"Ma, his birthday isn't until Saturday."

"Still! He's almost 20 and my little girls are almost 18!"

"I'm still the baby- Charlie's birthday comes first." Bella winks as she steals some frosting from the mixing bowl.

"Who's ready to eat?"

Everyone piles around the table and waits until Mr. Carisi says grace before filling their plates.

"Oh! Have the older kids heard the news?"

"What news?" Gina asks.

"Tell them the good news Charlotte!"

Charlie internally curses Ma Carisi but forces another fake smile on her face. "Oh it's not that big of a deal."

"Well of course it is! None of my other kids got a big scholarship!"

"She got into Colorado State University and they gave her a good scholarship too!" Bella spills the beans.

The other girls shout out some congratulations while Sonny stares her down from across the table. 

"So you're goin away for college?"

"Yeah. They've got a good veterinary program and with the scholarship it will be pretty affordable. Plus they think they can fast track me with the classes I've already taken and if I double up on extra classes the first few semesters." Charlie plays with the food on her plate, hating that everyone is looking at her. 

"Well! Who's ready for cake?" Ma stands up and heads back to the kitchen. 

 

 

"So you're really going?"

Sonny corners her by the downstairs bathroom.

"To college?"

"To Colorado?"

"I've got a scholarship. Why wouldn't I go?" Charlie finally meets his gaze to witness his slight flinch.

He's the first to look away. "I guess...I don't know what I was thinking." He looks back up at her, those blue eyes intense. "I guess I didn't think you'd leave me, your family."

"Where have you been my whole life? I've never been close to my parents, I'm an only child. Why would I stay here for them?" The  _why would I stay here for you_ is left unspoken. 

Sonny jabs a finger towards the living room. "They're your family. They always have been since the first day Bella brought you home."

"Just because I go to college doesn't mean I won't come back to New York. It's not like you've been around since you went to college and you're just a taxi drive away." Charlie hisses angrily, taking a step towards him.

Sonny clenches his jaw and looks away before meeting her gaze again. "You better come back. You better come back to them." He steps closer to her. "You better come back to me."

Charlie stares up into those earnest blue eyes and feels her heart pound against her ribs. She'd tried to forget about Sonny, about her 16th birthday, but standing here in front of him now hearing him tell her to come back- come back to him.

"What's going on?" Gina appears in the hallway.

Charlie turns away quickly and goes back into the living room, leaving Sonny to deal with his sister.

"Did I interrupt something?" Gina eyes her brother suspiciously.

"Leave it Gina." Sonny walks away without looking at her.


	6. Six

"Hey Bells, what's up?" Charlie traps her phone between her ear and shoulder. 

"What're you doing girl?"

"I was just heading back to my dorm room. What's that noise in the background?"

"Oh, it's nothing! Shh!"

"Who are you shushing?"

"No one! When are you gonna come home?"

"I don't know Bells. You know I've been overloading myself with classes."

"Charlie it's been two years! You came home once and it was only for like, a weekend."

"I know, I know. But I have so much going on here. If I can finish my first degree this year then I'll get into veterinary school sooner and be done faster."

Charlie heads up the three flights of stairs to her dorm room.

"Listen, I'm almost back to my room and I have a lot of homework to do..."

Charlie turns to her hallway and drops the phone from her ear.

"Charlie!!" Bella shrieks and runs down the hall to her. She throws herself into her best friend's arms while Charlie stares open mouthed.

"Sonny?" She whispers, staring at the figure leaning on her door.

Bella looks at Charlie more closely. "Yeah. I brought Sonny with me. Partly because you know Ma'd never let me fly out on my own and, well, he insisted on coming to see you as soon as he heard my idea."

"You flew out here?"

"Are you surprised? I knew you'd be surprised!" Bella grabs her hand to drag her towards Sonny. "I told you she'd be surprised!"

"Hey Char." Sonny looks up at her through his eyelashes.

"Hey."

"So are you gonna give us the grand tour? Take us to the best bars?" Bella bounces up and down, not noticing that she's the only excited one.

"I mean I don't really go out much."

"Well where do all the other college kids go?" Bella presses as Charlie unlocks her door. 

"I think a lot of them go to Tony's. It had like a patio and pool tables or something."

"Well drop your books off and let's go!"

Charlie looks back and forth between the Carisi siblings helplessly.

"Just give in Char, Bella's not gonna take no for an answer."

"We flew all this way!"

"Alright, alright!" Charlie tosses her books on her bed and grabs her purse.


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So for reference, I legitimately searched Colorado colleges and that influenced the major I chose for Charlie (and the fact that I wanted to be a vet when I was little lol) and then after choosing the college I actually googled the town for authenticity too. Colorado State University is in Fort Collins which also is home to Tony's bar and rooftop. I even scrolled through pictures of the place on Google to get an idea of the layout 😅

"What do you want to drink?" Sonny leans down so she can hear him over the noise of the bar.

"Just get me a rum and Sprite."

"I want a strawberry margarita!" Bella sticks her head close to chime in. "Come in Charlie let's get a table!"

Sonny heads up to the bar while the girls find seats along the wall.

"What's the matter with you Charlie? I thought you'd be more happy to see me."

"I am happy to see you Bells, it was just unexpected..." Charlie glances over at the bar.

"And I brought Sonny." Bella finishes the unfinished thought. "Did you guys have a fight or somethin'?" 

"No. No we...I don't know. Probably just part of growing up is all."

"But we're family! He's our brother."

"No!" Charlie pauses, realizing she'd raised her voice. "He's not my brother. He's your brother."

As Bella stares at her, Charlie starts to think that maybe she said too much. She looks back over at the bar. That drink is sounding good right about now. She spots Sonny leaning over the bar to talk to the bartender. At first she stares at how good he looks bending over like that but then she notices the bartender is a pretty blonde. Turning back to Bella she tries to wipe the glare off her face. 

"You know he's always askin about you."

"What?"

"He's always askin me how you're doing. And I say well why don't you just call and ask her. But he never does, does he?" The last sentence she says as a statement more than a question. When did Bella get so smart?

"No." Charlie squirms under her best friend's gaze.

"Here we are ladies- one strawberry margarita and a rum and Sprite. Don't worry- I made sure it was the good stuff. Bacardi." Sonny slides the drinks to the girls and sits down on the other side of Bella.

"Thank you. You didn't have to spend that much."

"Bacardi's your favorite."

"How did you know?" Charlie narrows her eyes at him.

He avoids answering by bringing a bottle of beer to his lips instead.

"Damn Bella maybe I should have just ordered you a pitcher." Sonny motions to his sister's almost empty glass.

"I mean you could get one and we could share? If that's okay?" She looks back and forth between her brother and Charlie. 

"If that's what you guys want to do. I just can't do plain it's gotta be like strawberry, watermelon, raspberry, something." Charlie takes another drink. 

"I'll be right back." Sonny gets up with a smile and a shake of his head. 

"You two are gonna drive me crazy."

"What do you mean?" Charlie finishes her drink while avoiding Bella's eyes.

Bella laughs. "Would you drop the act? I love you both but I'm not stupid."

"I mean, I did meet Tommy."

"Hey! He's sweet."

"That's true at least. Better than the guys your sisters date."

"But quit changing the subject. You don't have to keep hiding from me. I know."

"Know what?" Sonny walks up with a pitcher and glasses.

Charlie's heart is racing as she stares wide eyed at Bella.

"How much she misses us!" Bella spares Charlie. "She thinks she's gotta act all tough out here on her own. But I know she misses us." 

"How could I not miss you Bells?" Charlie quickly pours herself a cup and takes a drink trying to calm her nerves.

"We need some dancing music!" Bella jumps up from her seat. "I'm gonna go see what they got!" She takes off with a smile, leaving her brother and best friend alone.

"So how've ya been?"

"Good. Busy. Cramming as many classes and credits as I can."

"You look good."

Charlie curses the blush that rises to her cheeks.

"Are you seeing anyone?" He looks down at his beer as he asks.

"No. I don't have time for dating."

"No Colorado guy gonna keep you from coming back home?"

Charlie stares at him. "Afraid I'm not gonna come back?"

"Yeah." He startles her with his honesty.

Bella comes bouncing back as "Brokenhearted" by Karmin starts playing.

"Come on Charlie! Let's go dance!"

Charlie glances back at Sonny as Bella drags her off. He's staring back at her and the look in his eyes gives her chills. Then Bella is spinning her around getting lost in the music.


	8. Eight

"Okay now that we're alone again, spill."

"There's nothing to tell."

"Bullshit. I saw the way you panicked when Sonny walked up. I saw you on your 16th birthday too."

Charlie freezes, staring at her best friend. "You saw?"

"Five years ago I saw my brother kiss you in my bed. So there's something to tell."

"I mean...not really."

"You're telling me there isn't still something between you."

"This is the first we've spoken since I left Bella. I haven't talked to him in two years."

"But there used to be something. And from what I've seen tonight, there's still at least something there."

"He was my first kiss." Charlie blurts out. 

"What?" Bella grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her over to the bar.

"That party. The one when we were 15 and you were crushing on Steve McDaniel. Sonny and I... It was 7 minutes in heaven and I spun the bottle and it landed on Sonny." Charlie starts babbling, the whole story pouring out of her. "And I had a crush on him and he told me we didn't have to if I didn't want to and I didn't want to admit that I did so I asked if HE wanted to..." She trails off.

"And??" Bella pushes her, leaning in conspiratorially.

"He said that he didn't know how you'd feel about him kissing your best friend. And...so yeah. We did."

"So you're telling me that you both have liked each other all these years but have never done anything about it?"

"Basically. Yeah."

"What're you two doin over here?" Both women jump as Sonny appears beside them.

"Just catching up. Girl stuff, ya know." Bella winks at him.

He narrows his eyes at them suspiciously. Then he leans between them and flags down the bartender. "Hey can I get another beer?"

"Sure thing hun!" She smiles at him and Charlie glares daggers at her.

Sonny glances down and catches Charlie's glare. He leans towards her to whisper. "Don't worry- she ain't my type."

"Come on Bells, those margaritas aren't going to drink themselves." Charlie grabs Bella and drags her away from the bar.

"What'd he say? Why are you so red?"

Charlie pours herself another cup before speaking. "I was glaring at that bartender. And he saw. And he said," she pauses to take a drink. "He said, 'Dont worry- she ain't my type.'"

"Oh my God Charlie!! I told you there's somethin there!" Bella squeals.

"Maybe." Charlie smiles down at her drink.


	9. Nine

"Come on you two. I'm cutting you off." Sonny laughs.

"Sonny it's not that late." Bella whines.

"I'm pretty tired actually." Charlie says from where she's leaning against the wall.

"Well you're crashing with us at the hotel tonight. Hey- no objections." Sonny points a finger at Charlie as she tries to interject. "I've got two drunk girls to deal with and taking you both to the same place is gonna be way easier on me."

"We'll just have a slumber party! It'll be just like old times!"

"Sure Bella." Sonny shakes his head and goes up to pay the tab.


	10. Ten

"Alright, everybody in." Sonny herds the two women into the hotel elevator.

Bella looks over at him as it starts moving. "Ooo. Sonny I don't feel too good."

"Yeah I know but I promise this is better than all those stairs."

"Shit." Bella bumps into Charlie, knocking her towards Sonny. 

Charlie grabs ahold of Sonny's shirt as he catches her. When she looks up at him he's looking down at her smiling. 

"Don't worry. I got you."

"Hey guys. We're here."

Charlie and Sonny look over to see the elevator doors open and Bella carefully making her way out.

Sonny and the two girls walk slowly down the hall to the Carisi sibling's hotel room. 

"I think I'm gonna puke!" Bella stumbles through the door and shuts herself in the bathroom. 

"You can sleep wherever you want. Either you and Bella can sleep together or you can take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

Charlie looks around the room and then at Sonny. "That's not a couch. That's a loveseat. I couldn't even sleep comfortably on that. I'll just sleep with Bella- I'm not making you sleep on that."

Bella emerges from the bathroom a few minutes later and collapses on her bed. She sprawls out over the bed, still in her clothes, and falls asleep within minutes.

"What size beds are these? Toddler sized?" Charlie criticises as she walks around Bella's bed.

"The only two bed rooms they had left were full sizes." Sonny rubs the back of his head sheepishly.

Charlie shakes her head. "I'll take the loveseat then."

"Absolutely not." Sonny steps in front of her. "If anyone's sleeping there, it's me."

"I told you. I'm not making you sleep there." Charlie crosses her arms.

"And I'm not making YOU sleep there either." Sonny mimics her and crosses his arms too.

Charlie let's her arms drop and sighs. "I'm too tired for this."

"Good. Me too. Now let's go to bed." Sonny turns her around by the shoulders and steers her towards the empty bed.

Charlie sits on the edge of the bed and takes her shoes off. "I'm warning you now- my pants are coming off. I'm not sleeping in jeans."

"Me either. Make yourself comfortable, I'm gonna go change."

Charlie takes her jeans off and crawls under the covers, shutting the lights off once she's settled. The bathroom light also clicks off and she can hear Sonny shuffling around in the dark. Then she feels the bed dip from his weight.

"Sorry the beds so small." He whispers as he gets under the covers.

"It's okay." Charlie rolls onto her side and stares across the dark room to where Bella is sound asleep. Her heart is racing in her chest. She's in bed. With Sonny.

Then she feels Sonny shift in the bed as one arm snakes underneath her pillow and the other lays gently across her waist. "Goodnight Char. I missed you." He whispers in her ear before snuggling against her back.

She relaxes into the spoon, memorizing the way his body curves around hers, the soft touch of his fingers on her arm, the warmth against her back, the feeling of his pajama pants on her bare legs. When she falls asleep it's suddenly and it's the best sleep she's had in years.


	11. Eleven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny's POV

When he came out of the bathroom he was nervous as hell. He was about to go crawl in bed with his little sister's best friend. The girl who'd had a piece of his heart, if not the whole thing, for years. It was just sharing a bed, nothing more.

The hotel room was dark so he took his time finding the bed before slowly crawling into it. He didn't want to freak her out and let's face it, the bed was tiny.

"Sorry the beds so small."

"It's okay."

He feels her roll away from him as he gets under the covers. This wasn't exactly what he pictured happening when Bella told him she was going to fly out and visit Charlie whether Ma liked it or not. Saying he'd go too seemed like a win-win. Ma wouldn't throw a fit and well, he missed her like hell. They hadn't parted on a good note and they'd always left too much unsaid. Okay, they left everything unsaid. It seemed like a good make or break opportunity. Either she'd have waited for him like he had for her...or she'd have moved on with some local or college guy. He'd have been heartbroken but it wouldn't be up in the air anymore. Instead...well things were like they'd always been. Why he thought they'd suddenly be able to spill their feelings after two years apart, when they hadn't been able to all those years they had together. Did she have feelings for him all this time or was it just awkward because her best friend's brother had a thing for her and they'd kissed so she felt uncomfortable. One of them had to be brave enough to speak up.

Sonny scoots closer to her, wrapping an arm tentatively around her to gauge her reaction.

"Goodnight Char. I missed you."

He feels his heart swell as she relaxes against him and snuggles into his warmth. Maybe there was a chance after all. Just maybe.


End file.
